Painting the Living Landscape

Connection; Inspiration; Compassion

Artist Statement

“Our weakness in our appreciation of nature is the emphasis placed on scenery…Things are appreciated for size, unusuality and scarcity more than for their subtleties and emotional relationship to everyday life” -Ansel Adams

I paint Living Landscapes en plein air. By engaging directly with nature as I paint, I can look beyond the postcard to speak permanently and directly of our deepest connection with the natural world. My work isn’t about the grand scenery of untouched wildernesses, but about all places of nature.

I’m inspired by the intimate: the way moss grows on a rock or the dance of a stream as it passes tangled banks. It’s at this smaller, more human scale, that I see and savour all of nature’s richness, complexity and subtlety. It’s here that I feel a sense of place and belonging, a warm relationship with the natural world. It’s this intimacy that I seek to capture as it speaks of both the fleeting nature of the moment and the timelessness of our wild places.

My aim is to celebrate nature’s intricate diversity and to inspire people to value and enjoy natural environments without damaging the lives of the other species that share them with us.

When one of my paintings hangs on your wall, I hope it acts to re-connect you to the wonder, beauty and significance of nature and, most importantly, to remind you that you too, are a part of it.

Biography

Originally from the UK, Sharon spent much of her adult life traveling and working throughout Europe, S.E. Asia and Australasia, until finally settling in British Columbia in 2006.

She mentored under Albert Handell and is a Signature Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, a juried member of the Society of Animal Artists and a member of the Pastel Society of the West Coast. Her work has been recognised internationally, with numerous awards including first place in the Pastel Journal’s International Pastel 100 Competition and BBC International Wildlife Artist of the Year. It has been exhibited in New York, Vancouver, San Diego and throughout British Columbia and can be found in private and corporate collections in Canada, USA, France and the UK

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